Prime Minister of Prince Edward Island dies

On January 10, 1936, Prince Edward Island's first premier, Walter Lea, of Victoria, dies.
The Charlottetown Guardian story reads:

The Province suffered the loss of its Prime Minister, Secretary-Treasurer and Minister of Agriculture in the person of the Hon. W.M. Lea.

His death occurred at the Prince Edward Island Hospital, following a severe cold contracted the Saturday before, which developed into pneumonia. The Premier's condition had improved by Thursday but by late Thursday evening, his condition became so serious that his family was at once sent for and were brought by plane to his bedside. 

Lea, P.E.I.'s first premier, was the first political leader in British history to head a party which won every seat in parliament, completely routing the opposing forces. His death necessitated the resignation of this successful government.

Power will be restored to all customers ... in six months

Widespread disruption of communication and power services, on a scale unprecedented in recent times, has resulted in Prince Edward Island as a result of the sleet storm which began Thursday, Jan. 5, 1956, and continued throughout Saturday. 

Maritime Electric Company estimated 2,000 poles came down under the weight of the ice, especially Summerside and west, which was declared a disaster area.  

Caption: WATER STREET JUST BEFORE THE WIRES CAME DOWN. A part of Summerside's business area is seen Friday afternoon as freezing rain continued to add heavy weight to electrical and communication lines and eventually brought them crashing to the street on Saturday morning. Practically every pole and line along the entire Water Street area was demolished. Similar damage occurred in almost every other section of Summerside, the R.C.A.F. Station, and in most districts in Prince County. (Photo by D.W. Sears)

Caption: PLENTY OF WINTER ON WINTER STREET. Two Guardian newsboys in Summerside, Jackie Gallant (left) and Michael Scott (center) accompanied by Hazen Mellish (right) are seen on the corner of Winter and Summer Streets where plenty of winter was indicated during the damaging weekend storm at Summerside. The electric light pole on which the "Winter St." sign is seen was among hundreds that came crashing to the ground. (Photo by D.W. Sears)

It will take six months before power is restored to all areas, especially rural Prince County. 

 

Liquidation sale, everything must go! No, really

On January 3, 1913, The Island Guardian runs a front-page ad in which HH Brown assures customers he really is closing up shop and clearing out his stock, refuting widespread rumours that somehow spread before the age of blogs, Facebook and Twitter!

The ad reads,

A word with You

It has been hinted that I do not intend to leave the Province. The only answer I can give to those who appear very anxious to see me leave is that as soon as I get all my goods sold my bills all paid and my belongings stowed away in a car, I will leave for Medicine Hat, Alberta.

The actual date will be near February 15th.

Really and honestly I thought that a young growing business like mine would have been picked up three months ago and that I would have been away before this. If I have to stay in the store during January I warn you to look out for bargains.

The balance of the stock will be cleared out at 15, 20 and 25 c on the dollar — below what I paid for it. I cannot afford to pay for much newspaper space and sell at those prices so I will only quote a few items here — this ad will only run a short time.

HH Brown

Also in the Jan. 3, 1913 edition, The Central Guardian clerks complain people continually call one department at the newspaper looking for the number of another "though all the numbers for the respective departments are plainly given in the telephone book."

The newspaper asks the public to stop calling the newsroom when they have an ad inquiry; the circulation desk when they have a news tip and the advertising department when they want to report a missing paper.

"It is a great waste of the time on the part of the person phoning, the operator at the Central and the department wrongly phoned. Patrons who consult their phone books for the numbers they really want will greatly lessen the work of the patient Central telephones and Guardian clerks and thus help make their lives much brighter and happier."

(In that vein, we might mention that if readers are looking for the address or phone number of any of our present-day Guardian staff, they would make our lives brighter and happier if they were to consult: http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/Our-Team . Thank you in advance and Happy New Year!)